34. Raleigh (North Carolina)

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The host of last year's All-Star Weekend certainly displayed their love for the game well, but the reality away from that experience is that Carolina suffers from a similar lack of natural love for the game that many Southern cities have experienced.

With good young players like Skinner in town, there's a face for fans to cheer for once again.

33. Burlington (Vermont)

The University of Vermont might not be the first school you think of when considering college hockey hotbeds, but the Catamounts have produced players like Tim Thomas, Patrick Sharp and Martin St. Louis over the years.

Like a few other universities on the list, they may benefit from limited options for fans, but Vermont has a great fan base.

30. South Bend

The University of Notre Dame is one of the most unique college sports atmosphere in the US, and their hockey program's success over the last few years has been bolstered by a strong hockey community on campus.

The geographic rivalries with prominent schools in Michigan (and the football rivalries that already exist with those institutions) makes the Fighting Irish a fun team to watch play.

27. Columbus (Ohio)

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While you might be surprised to see Columbus ranked this high, there are a couple factors to remember.

First, the Blue Jackets are awful, but they're still drawing over 80 percent of their building's capacity, and the up-and-coming program at Ohio State (which has put players like Ryan Kesler into the NHL) is another attractive part of the hockey landscape.

20. Grand Forks (North Dakota)

Maybe it's because there just isn't a whole lot to do in Grand Forks, or maybe it's because guys like Ed Belfour, Travis Zajac, Zach Parise and Jonathan Toews have played for the University of North Dakota, but there is a fantastic passion for hockey hidden in North Dakota.